Music Festivals Already Known to Be Cancelled for 2024 or Bringing Their Event to an End

Strawberry Fair - will take a fallow year in 2025 'due to rapidly increasing costs in recent years, which have not been matched by increased income, leaving The Fair running an unsustainable defecit'

Live In Somerset - will 'take a break' in 2025 due to 'ongoing costs'

Balter Festival - announced 2025 will be its last "We've faced the same challenges as many events since 2020, overcoming significant difficulties to keep the festival alive. Now we are in the position where with one more big year, we can wrap things up on a positive note and give Balter the send-off it deserves."

The Cambridge Club Festival - Announces it will not take place in 2025

Black Deer - postpones for 2025 due to rising production costs, unpredictable ticket sales and increasingly difficult landscape.

Sundown Festival - cancels event for 2025 "The rising costs of production, along with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, have significantly impacted Sundown's future, as they have many other festivals in recent years."

Dance Around The World Festival. Losing venue. Team cannot continue.

Readipop. announces it's taking a fallow year in 2025 having 'struggled with rising costs and other challenges that occured post-covid'
Womad. announces its moving site for 2026. No event in 2025.

Tenterden Folk Festival. 31 year old festival announced it will no longer continue. A combination of reasons - succession planning; costs; and complexities of running the event mean the Trustees would like to bow out whilst the event is at a high.

Pine Fest. planned new festival cancelled 'due to reasons beyond our control'.

Highest Point. no event in 2025 "with rising costs – including significant fees for artists – it has become increasingly difficult to sustain an event of this scale in Williamson Park. Unfortunately, it’s not feasible to continue losing money year after year without reassessing our approach."

Timber Festival. announced 2024 edition was its last. "Rising production costs, coupled with the cost of living crisis, have made it increasingly difficult to sustain the festival financially in the long term."

Just So Festival. taking a fallow year in 2025.

Save The Rave Southampton. licence refused.

Look-a-Like Festival Southampton. licence refused.

Headland Festival. cancelled one month prior to event. Cites lack of revenue and funding as reasons to cancel.

Camp Bestival Shropshire. scraps plans for a 2025 event. No reason given.

Cleckheaton Folk Festival. announced its 2024 edition would be its last.

Cosmic Roots Festival. cancelled two weeks prior 'due to unpredictable ticket sales and a rise in production costs’.

Wannasee Festival. cancelled ahead of build due to poor ground conditions.

ValleyFest. announces it will take a fallow year in 2025.

Witcombe Festival. festival cancelled three weeks before event due to cost of living crisis impacting ticket sales and planning.'

Secret Garden Party. Announce 2024 event will be it last as their festival weekend approaches, burning their main stage as a symbol of the challenges facing independent festivals.

Inglefest. No event in 2024. Running a crowdfunder to try and improve chances of returning in 2025.

Planet Love. Event will not take place "due to circumstances beyond our control".

Down At The Abbey. postponed until 2025 "Proceeding with the event this year would carry too much risk and would most likely be the end of Down at the Abbey, Heavy Pop, and our sister festival event, Are You Listening?"

Keep It Real Folk Festival. Festival cancelled. Reason unknown, appears to be a licensing rejection.

The Summer Solstice Festival. Licence refused in days prior to event after residents hearing.

Geronimo Festival. Cancelled with two months to go. "The event has become an unsustainable financial risk."

ZenFest. Cancelled for 2024. No suggestions it will return.

Starry Village. Cancelled one month prior to the festival. "Rising inflation has led to production costs drastically spiralling – and the cost of living crisis has had a impact on ticket sales, as folks struggle to make ends meet. Unfortunately, this has led to the very difficult and sad decision that it is just not viable for Starry Village to continue."

Underneath The Stars. Announced festival will be the last, for now. "This decision, though difficult, feels right as we embrace these new chapters in our lives."

Another World Music Festival. Postponed until 2025 due to low ticket sales and licensing issues.

Beacon Festival. “The Beacon team have had to make a tough decision in light of skyrocketing festival expenses : Beacon Festival 2024 will be the last.”

Askern Music Festival. Postponed until 2025 after 2024 event is refused licence due to safety concerns.

51st State Festival. Postponed until 2025. "Due to the cost of living crisis, a significant increase in operational costs and operational issues, as an independent festival it is not economically feasible for us to proceed in 2024".

Towersey Festival. Announces this year's edition, its 60th, will be its last. "Like many other independent and grassroots festivals we have faced too many forces outside of our control which have made it increasingly difficult to operate and survive".

Twisted Festival. Postponed after losing their site, and unable to secure new site in time. Intend to return in 2025.

Bingley Challenge Festival. Cancelled three days prior to event "they said "safety concerns", including fencing off a woodland area in case of fire, had prompted the event's cancellation.

El Dorado. Cancelled for 2024. "Over the past year we, like many others, have battled with a dramatic rise in operational costs for running a show like El Dorado, compounded by the impact of the increased cost of living on the festival industry and our community. Despite our best efforts we are faced with the potential for catastrophic losses."

Welliestock. "I have tried for months to reduce the cost of the event but sadly, with everything being far more expensive than 2018 I have not been able to find a way which would have seen tickets having to double in price, something which we always aimed at avoiding as we always want it to be an affordable family event."

Visions Festival.  “Taking a much-needed break for 2024”.

Riverside Festival. "Lower-than-expected sales and increased infrastructure, staff, transport and artist costs".

We Are Fstvl. Festival cancelled over safety concerns.

Heartwood Festival. "Festivals have lifecycles that rely on the humans that facilitate them, and whilst we’re only in our 4th year our circumstances and aspirations for the future personally, professionally and geographically, won’t allow us to pour the love into Heartwood that it requires".

ND Festival.  “Due to investment and sponsorship changes the festival is no longer viable”.

Meadowfest. Couldn't reach agreement with landowner. “Never say never but it would be difficult to bring the event back once it has been pulled like this."

Penn Fest. Cancelled due to trading conditions and increased costs. May return in 2025.

Illusive Festival. Have announced their 2024 edition will be the last.

Clun Green Man. Cancelled due to weather. Will return in 2025.

Askambury Festival. “It's time we took a break”.

Shindig. Have announced this year's event will be its last. Cite venue changes and challenges of running an independent festival.

Tunes On The Bay Festival . Has been postponed until 2025.

Lowedefest. Bought to an end after 13 years.

Neighbourhood Weekender. No event planned for 2024. Said they will return in 2025.

Camp Quirky. Taking a fallow year. Cite challenges of running an independent festival.

Doonhame. Rising costs force cancellation of festival.

Splendour. No event in 2024 due to tender and procurement issues. Festival hopes to return in 2025.

Love Fit. Festival cancelled and company goes into liquidation.

Hayloft Live. Cancelled due “to unforseen circumstances”.

Ampthill. Festival cancelled unable to cover costs. company goes into administration.

Connect. Festival will not go ahead this year. No reason given. Suggests it may return in 2025.

110 Above. Rising costs mean no festival in 2024 and no plans for a future edition.

Standon Calling. Festival postpones until 2025.

Spring Classic. Festival cancelled due to costs.

Smoked and Uncut. Festival cancelled. No reason given.

Takedown Festival. Postponed until 2025. Building works and trading conditions given as reason for postponement.

Detonate Festival. Cancelled for 2024 due to costs.

Togfest. No plans for festival to return. Loss of core team and some venue issues given as reason.

Nibley. Announced 2024 will be their last festival. Cite increasing costs against a backdrop of cost of living crisis.

Bingley Festival. No plans for festival to return. “Production costs have gone through the roof”.

Escape Into The Park. Festival will not take place due to “increase in supplier and artist costs”.

NASS Festival. After its 2023 edition it announced it will not return.

Nozstock: The Hidden Valley. Has announced 2024 - its 26 edition - will be the last event, citing rise in supply chain costs as its reason for reluctant closure.

Bluedot Festival. Has said itʼs taking a ‘fallow yearʼ for 2024.

Leopallooza. Made its 2023 edition its final event.

Barn On The Farm. Has announced it will be trying to return in 2025.

1

List of Music Festivals Cancelled in 2023

In 2023 AIF tracked news of music festival cancellations - events that were on sale but did not make it to open their gates.

We found 36 events that cancelled. The primary reason was for economic conditions - with events citing the rise and terms in supply chain costs. The second reason was weather related (ie heavy rain following strong periods of dry weather slowing site build). If you believe we've missed any events, or made any errors, please contact us.

Alfresco - Audio Farm - Beacon Festival - Beyond Festival - Cambridge Rock Festival - Chagstock - Cowley Road Carnival - Creation Day - Detonate - Doune The Rabbit Hole - English Riviera - Exodus Festival - Farm Fest - Fresh Ayr Festival - Geronimo Festival - Glas Denbury Gwen - Gwen Kidwelly - Hideaway Festival - Highrise Festival - In Between Days - Kaleidoscope Festival - Lechlade - Loosefest - Midnight Sun Weekender - Mugstock Festival - New Quay Music Festival - No Bounds Festival - On Kilter - One Love Reggae Festival - Otherlands Perth - Out East Festival - The Kirkstyle Stomp - Tiree Music Festival - Tokyo World - Tolpuddle Festival - Warm Up Festival

List of music festivals lost to the pandemic.

This is a list of music festivals that were active in 2019 but did not make it through to 2023. Some tried to roll over or planned events in 2022 but did not emerge back by 2023. This list is not exhaustive. There is not a comprehensive list of UK Music Festivals. This came from research conducted by AIF during Spring 2023. We estimate that 1 in 6 music festivals did not survive the pandemic. If you believe we have missed any events or made any errors please contact us.

A Perfect Day - Always The Sun - Asparafest - Belfast Nashville Songwriters Festival - Beyond Festival - Bigfoot - Bilston Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival - Blissfields - BluesFest - Brentwood Festival/Evoke Festival - Burnham-on-Sea Folkfest - Camden Rocks - Camp Good Life - Carfest North - Chalgrove Festival - Chewton Glen - Chilled In A Field Festival - Chislehurst Rocks - Cleethorpes Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival - Cocoon In The Park - Cornbury Festival - Croissant Neuf Summer Party - Dartford Festival - Doune the Rabbit Hole - Drown U Out - Dundee Summer Sessions - FarmFestival - Festival of Europe - Fleetwood folk and blues weekender - Fling Festival - Folk on the Dock - Folk on the Quay - Free Harmony Festival - Futurama Festival - Gateways Festival - Giants Of Rock - Glas-Denbury - Glasgow Summer Sessions - Great British Folk Festival - Greenwich Music Time - GuilFest - Happy Days Festival - Havering Show - Head for the Hills festival - Heretic Fest - Hideaway Festival - Holifair Festival - House of Fun Weekender - I Am Next - Innervisions - Jam On Rye - Kaya Festival - L Fest - Larmer Tree Festival - Leamington Peace Festival - Lechlade Festival - Live at Chelsea - Liverpool International Music Festival - Liverpool Loves - London Summer Jam - Looe Live! - Lovebox - Merthyr Rising - Middle of Nowhere Festival - Music Mania Festival - Music On The Marr - Neverworld - North Yorkshire Music Festival - Pulse of the Maggots Festival - RedFest Bristol - Rockin the Bowl - Forged in Fire / Set in Steel - Sacred Vibrations Festival - Signals Festival - Skankfest - Somerfest - South Central Festival - South West Four Weekender - Southport Sixties Weekend - SW4 - The Acoustic Festival of Britain - The Funk & Soul Weekender - The Great British Alternative Music Festival (Oct) - The London Mela - Throwfest - TogFest - True North - Truefest - Tusk festival - Unlocked Fest - Village Green - Walthamstow Garden Party - Walton Folk Festival - Watchet Live Music Festival - Waves - You Are Not Alone Festival